


Un Fiore Per Te

by Drones_of_Innocence



Category: Super Mario & Related Fandoms, Super Smash Brothers
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Superstitions, Valentine's Day, banquet, dance, soft, this is so mushy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:26:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29453769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Drones_of_Innocence/pseuds/Drones_of_Innocence
Summary: Princess Peach tries to come to terms with her feelings for Mario before the Valentine's banquet held at the Smash Mansion. Cover done by @CometMedal!
Relationships: Mario/Peach-hime | Peach Toadstool, Princess Daisy/Luigi
Comments: 5
Kudos: 22





	Un Fiore Per Te

O~o~O

“He loves me...He loves me not.” 

Two petals fluttered in the wind, down the hill that she sat upon. Princess Peach watched them twirl away into the deep orange horizon. The sun was setting on the land, as well as her mood.

Two stems picked clean of petals lay at her side, neither having given her the answer she wanted. And she could already tell the final flower in her hands would not either. She let out a sigh, and leaned into her arm. Four petals remained. Thousands of other daisies swayed in the breeze in the fields all around her, but she would not pick any more. She felt bad for severing the beautiful blooms from their rightful place. No, not for a silly old superstition that wouldn’t even provide truth. She felt childish for letting her hopes be brought up by a plant. The daisies only served to entertain her whimsy, and nothing more.

She watched the flower, turned it in her hand. Four petals. One answer. “He loves me...He loves me not.” she whispered, moving to pick the rest off. “He loves me…”

“Ah, Princess!” she heard his voice before she heard his approach. He always had a way of treading softly wherever he went. She did not have to look to know he was avoiding stepping on the flowers. “There you are. I have been looking for you.”

He came closer, and she turned to look at him. The mansion was in the distance behind him, and the soft glow of the lanterns in Smashville were beginning to grow brighter in the fading sunlight. His big, kind eyes reflected the gold evening. His shy smile made her heart flutter in her chest.

She acknowledged him with a nod. “Mario. I hope you haven’t been looking for very long.” she patted the space beside her, and remembered the flower in her hand. She abruptly averted her eyes and felt her face grow warm. What were the chances he would recognize what she was doing?

Mario shook his head as he came to sit next to her. She was aware that he was watching her, but she couldn’t bring herself to face him. “No. Princess Daisy told me I could find you here.” after a moment, he must have realized she wouldn’t look at him, and he reluctantly turned his head away. She bit her lip. “Ehm...The sunset. It is nice.”

Looking to the ground, Peach felt guilt bloom in her chest. Small talk from Mario was rare. Normally, conversation was so easy between them. She quickly ran a hand through her hair and adjusted the way she was sitting. “Yes. Yes, it really is quite exquisite.” she found herself agreeing, trying hard not to grimace.

The last petal on the flower in her hand stirred in the breeze. Peach looked down to the stem with a sigh, but made no move to pick it off. The answer burned in her mind. An even number of petals always led to the same conclusion, which she didn’t want to hear again. He loves her not.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him glance periodically to the flower she held. He obviously had a question. But Peach wasn’t sure he was going to ask. She kept her back rigid and straight, while Mario leaned back and rested on his elbows. In the distance, through their silence, soft music and laughter came from Smashville.

Peach looked at the field spread out before them, and then blinked. “You came looking for me?” she asked, remembering what he said. “Did you need me for something?”

He turned to her as she turned to face him, and he met her eyes only briefly. “Ah. No. I just, I realized I have not seen you today.” he gave a guilty smile, before his gaze fell to the stem in her hands. “If you are busy, I can go.”

“Oh!” Peach shook her head, and she just noticed Mario’s soft smile as he regarded her. “Not at all! I’m not busy. I appreciate the company.” she gestured like she was about to say something else, but decided to leave it. She couldn’t exactly admit that she actually loved his company more than anything else in the world. At least, not to his face.

With an understanding smile, he nodded to the stem that she was playing with in her hands. “Can I ask what the flower is for?” he had a cheeky look.

Peach immediately felt her face become warm. “Oh, you, you mean this?” she put a hand to her cheek and held up the flower, trying in vain to appear like she didn’t know how it got there. The last, sad little petal fluttered, and detached itself. Peach watched it fly off down the hill with the wind. “It’s just, you know, it’s just a flower. I mean, a game. A game with a flower.”

She knew she was doomed when Mario sat up a little, interest piqued. “A game?” he asked. She wondered if, by some miracle, he hadn’t noticed her stammering, or if he was just polite enough to look past it.

With a nod, she had to surrender to her fate. “Yes. Well, in a way. It’s silly.” She knew that no matter how she tried to paint the game, Mario would want to learn how to play. Of course he would. He loved games. She took in a reluctant breath, and reached between them for the nearest flower. “You have a flower, and you take off one petal at a time. Each petal means…” she started to pull off a petal, and she noticed offhandedly that the flower was already missing a petal.

“...He loves me, he loves me not.” Mario finished the sentence for her, just as she let go of the first petal. 

Blinking several times, Peach froze for a moment. “Er, yes, exactly.” she was startled that Mario might have known, but then she remembered that Mario was from Earth, and the game had come from there. She shouldn’t have been surprised at all.

Mario sat up fully beside her, and Peach became aware that he was very close to her. “I do know this game!” he broke into a broad grin. “Okay, that one was he loves me. This one, he loves me not.” he plucked the next petal.

His enthusiasm was contagious. Peach found herself smiling while they worked to pick off all the petals, one by one, reciting the words together. “He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me, he loves me not.” they burst into laughter when one petal flew right at Mario’s face instead of down the hill with the others.

Finally, they came upon the last petal. Mario let her have the honors, and she held it up in her hand. “He loves me…” they said at the same time, just as they made eye contact.

For a tantalizing moment, Peach looked into Mario’s eyes. He didn’t blink. She didn’t move. The breeze faded, replaced with something much thicker and humid. She was certain more time than was normal had passed, yet, the only thing in her mind was how lovely his deep, celestial blue eyes looked in the evening light. She glanced at his lips, for just an instant, before she corrected herself.

She placed the petal on his big nose. Mario practically went cross-eyed, and he burst into laughter. She tried to laugh with him, anything to distract herself from the tension of that moment. Anything to distract herself from her pounding heart.

It was only when he looked at her, with that little petal still sitting on his nose, that she found herself genuinely laughing. “We win!” he held up a fist, as if they had achieved some fantastic victory. Peach just covered her mouth and giggled, because Mario was so sweet and so silly, and thank goodness she broke the moment because she was starting to think it would be rational to just lean over and kiss him and obviously she couldn’t do that, that was out of the question.

She hadn’t even thought of the game as one she could win or lose. But wasn’t that the definition of a game? Of course she had lost on her own, but she won when Mario was there with her. 

After they both calmed down, Mario shook off the petal and looked up at her. “So, there is someone you love?” he asked her.

Peach blinked. “Hm?”

He was smiling, but she couldn’t help but think his smile looked a little sad. He gestured to the stem as she set it down. “You play the game because there is someone you love?” he rephrased his question.

“Oh,” Peach clasped her hands to her chest, and looked down at the ground. She hesitated before she responded. “I suppose you could say that, yes.”

Mario nodded slowly. “I see.”

Peach braced for the inevitable question, and floundered through all her possible answers for him. She couldn’t just admit her feelings then and there to him, but she couldn’t lie either. How could she dance around the question? Could she avoid it? She felt mild panic when she couldn’t think of a response. But Mario didn’t say anything. 

She glanced over to see him staring out over the horizon.

He didn’t say anything after that.

O~o~O

“So the banquet is coming up,” Zelda raised her eyebrows and looked between them. “Are you excited?”

Samus gave a reluctant nod. “I suppose I am. It has been a while, after all.” She sat back in her chair, and raised her chin to look up at the sky.

Meanwhile, Peach just set down her tea. Some leaves flew by, and a balloon floated overhead. There was a Villager trying to shoot it down with a slingshot nearby. The day was hot, but the breeze took away the sting of the sun.

Without fail, there was always a banquet that was thrown while everyone was still at the Smash tournament. Even despite disasters like Tabuu and Galeem. Peach was never worried about them; she participated in banquets all the time, and even hosted several as part of her duties as Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom.

But, the Smash banquet was somewhat different than the political ones she was used to. She looked down at her hands in her lap.

“Well, what about you, Peach?” Zelda asked, resting her cheek in her palm. Peach didn’t quite understand her smug look, or her playful tone. “Are you excited? Do you think anyone will ask you to go with them?”

Peach instantly thought of Mario. She imagined a golden evening, like the day before, with him looking up at her with those big blue eyes of his. She could practically hear the tone of his voice as he gathered up his nerves long enough to ask her to be his date for the banquet. Letting out a soft sigh, Peach shook her head to clear her mind of her fantasy. 

She gave a polite laugh. “Oh, I don’t know about that.” No, Mario wasn’t going to ask her. He never asked anyone. 

Samus fixed her with a half-lidded look. “Why don’t you ask him? Instead of waiting for him to ask you. Ever thought about that?”

Blinking several times, Peach felt her face flush with heat and thought back to everything she had said. She hadn’t mentioned Mario. Not once! So why were both Samus and Zelda looking at her like they knew something she didn’t? “Him…?” she tried to pretend like she didn’t understand. Maybe Samus was referring to someone else anyway. “I’m sorry, who…?”

“Oh, cut the crap, Princess. We know you like him.” Samus rolled her eyes, chuckling. “Mr. Hero. Captain Goody Two-Shoes. Wonderboy. Your very own knight in shining armor.”

Peach thought about pretending for longer, when both Samus and Zelda’s gazes froze over her shoulder. She cast a glance behind her to see what they were looking at, only to feel a startled rush.

Mario. He was too far away to be able to speak to him, but close enough to notice. Of course, Peach could have noticed him anywhere. All three of them watched as Mario spoke to the villager.

After a moment, the villager beamed and threw his arms around Mario, and the three women could hear traces of their laughter over the breeze. 

To all of the younger smashers, Mario had become somewhat of a guardian figure. Not exactly like a father; he was more than willing to spar with them any time to help them improve, and he was always ready for a spur-of-the-moment game of any kind. Kirby had told Peach once that he was a lot more fun than a father. So, they started to call him Uncle.

All the children ever talked about to her was Uncle Mario. How Uncle Mario taught them a new move, how they chased Uncle Mario all over the mansion, surely squealing and giggling the whole time. There were so many ways he lit up their days. She knew that the children all lit up his, too. Hearing from them always warmed Peach’s heart, and it was so wonderful to see Mario having fun as well.

“Yeesh, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him without a smile. How can Mario be so happy all the time?” Samus sipped her tea and shook her head with amusement, while they all watched Mario try out the slingshot.

Nodding in agreement, Zelda giggled. “Look at him. He’s so joyful. I’ve always admired that about him.”

Peach lowered her cup with a soft sigh to herself. They were wrong. Mario wasn’t always so joyful. Playing with the kids really did make him happy, but he wore a smile the rest of the time for everyone else’s sake. 

She would never forget those rare times after he rescued her, where the fear was clear in his eyes. Sometimes, Bowser went to insane lengths just to take her away, and Mario was always the one who had to go after her. Those insane lengths were too much for him at times. He would never admit it, but Peach knew. She knew, only because there were small moments when he let her see what he really felt. Tiny, miniscule moments. His fear and his rage and everything that he hated about himself was written in his face, in those big blue eyes.

And then the moment would end. He would collect all those stray vulnerabilities that had fallen around him, and he would shove them back down, not to be seen again until Bowser’s next big idea. Or the next threat to the worlds, like Galeem. Yes, she had seen him during that final battle, straining to hold onto himself. Trying so hard to keep himself together to protect them all.

He must have felt their stares. Mario glanced up, right at them, and looked for a moment before he broke into a smile and waved at them. Peach gave a weak wave back.

Peach wanted so badly for him to truly let her in. He believed he had, perhaps, because he at least trusted her enough to look to her when he was at his breaking point. Those brief moments when he sought help and strength outside of himself, he looked right at her. There was never enough time for her to react properly. Never enough time, because he composed himself so quickly.

More than anything, she wanted to somehow let him know that he could come to her when he felt like he couldn’t smile any longer. She knew he couldn’t be okay all the time. She longed to see him as he really was, when he went home for the night. Everyone wears a mask, but his was the one she wanted to look behind.

The pressure that was on him, she could alleviate it for awhile. She could help him pick up those vulnerabilities. Spread them out like pictures and notes on a bulletin board, observe them, make sense of them. Release them for good, if it were possible.

Seeing him so frightened and lost hurt Peach deeply. She remembered when she’d been able to take a rare peek under his mask of a smile. She remembered the way his whole body trembled in her arms, after he had succeeded in saving their universe from Bowser’s galaxy reactor. He wouldn’t look at her. The shame practically radiated from his body, on top of his exhaustion. But he was too weak to hide from her. She shielded him from prying eyes and held him close, giving him all the time she could for him to collect himself. Her people needed to see him strong. No matter how afraid, or how tired he was, they both understood that her citizens relied on the image he had constructed.

The trembling was enough to bring tears to her eyes. He had pushed himself so hard that his body was physically shaking. And it just wouldn’t stop, no matter how she tried to soothe him. With his face buried in her chest, she rubbed his back, she tried to surround him with herself so that he understood he was safe. _It’s over,_ she whispered to him. _It’s okay now._ She kissed his head, over and over again, letting her magic heal what injuries he had.

He always pushed himself. He always gave his all. And he never asked for anything in return.

That day, Luigi had whispered a tearful thank you to her. They both watched Mario bound off with the Toad Brigade, smiling like he hadn’t just witnessed the death and rebirth of a galaxy. Rosalina stood with them, just observing the celebration. She also thanked Peach.

“He needed that more than you know,” she said, her tone solemn and serene all at once. She clasped her wand in her hand and didn’t say anything more about it.

But Peach did know. She knew too well that Mario needed comfort. And yet, he would never allow himself to drop his guard, not even for her. Peach longed to know why he denied himself what he needed most, because surely he knew.

She tried to ask Luigi. Why does he close himself off? Why doesn’t he want anyone to help him? Why can’t he see that all his friends loved him and would comfort him if he would only ask?

Luigi had sighed, looking at the ground. “He’s always been that way.” he shrugged, and confessed that he had never seen Mario cry, not once in their entire lives. He seemed upset by this.

But Luigi had never exactly answered her question. Not why. But Peach had seen the reluctance in his eyes. He had to know. There had to be more.

Because Mario looked at her differently after that day. 

She leaned back in her chair and watched Mario run around the top of the hill with the villager, and soon some of the other Smashers joined them. They must be playing some new game he made up. He was so very good at coming up with games to play, ways to entertain others. Ways to make other people forget whatever was bothering and make them smile, even for a little while. 

Samus and Zelda were talking to each other in fond murmurs. Peach wasn’t paying attention to them. Instead, she watched Mario laugh and play with the children.

He used to have a sort of frantic formality when he spoke with her, after he and Luigi had first come to the Kingdom. He always had to be extremely polite and use all the right words and be as brief as possible. Over time, he realized she would give him time to speak. He learned to stop apologizing for his imperfect English. It took her so long to make him understand that she wanted him to be who he was, not who he thought she wanted him to be. She wanted him to see that she was his friend, not just the Princess to him.

But she could never shake the feeling she had that he wouldn’t ever tell her everything on his mind. He never complained. He never had anything bad to say. And he rarely relaxed in her presence.

And it wasn’t that he didn’t know how to. The man could fall asleep just about anywhere, and she had heard from Luigi that he had the appetite of a starving beast. Only the stars above knew just how much his body needed the rest and nourishment. But he only ever napped in places that were hard to reach, and he only ever ate small servings from the castle despite how often she tried to feed the brothers.

But, after that day she had held him, perhaps he understood that he did not need to be the perfect, machine-like soldier all the time. He started to ask for seconds, albeit reluctantly. And he chose places much closer to the ground to settle down for a nap.

One day, he had fallen asleep after a conversation with her. She had just opened her mouth to say something after a long moment of reflection, only to turn and find that he was already in a deep sleep. Maybe he was just tired. But Peach liked to think that he knowingly nodded off. If he really didn’t want her to be there while he slept, he would have excused himself earlier to go find somewhere else to nap.

She couldn’t help but smile. His expression was so relaxed and soft. He snored ever so quietly, and sometimes mumbled to himself with words too low for her to hear. The breeze stirred his hair, his hat slipped off his head because of the angle he was lying down. Her heart was consumed with warmth for him, and she wanted nothing more than to stay there beside him for the rest of the evening all the way until the morning. She thought about lying back with him. A nap outside would be nice, no matter what her advisor tried to tell her.

Then, he wasn’t so relaxed. A worried crease formed between his eyebrows. His mouth turned into a deep frown, and his breathing was no longer even.

Peach tilted her head. “Mario?” she had called for him quietly, not wanting to startle him awake. She reached and gently shook him. A low groan escaped him. He gritted his teeth, as if he were in pain. His leg and his hands twitched. “Mario,” she tried again, her voice a little louder.

He turned one way and then the other, like he was shaking his head. His expression was desperate, his movements became increasingly restless. His chest practically heaved from how hard he was breathing. Peach sat up over him and shook him again. “Mario!”

“No!” he gasped, and he jolted awake. His eyes darted around, wide with fear and confusion. Only after looking down did she realize how he braced himself against the ground, how tense his whole body was. Every muscle was tightened like a coil, prepared to spring, to run, to attack.

For a moment, it didn’t even look like he recognized who she was. She watched the evaluation in his face. Determining whether she was a friend or a foe. But his eyes finally focused on her, and he fell back on his elbows, still breathing hard. She was so close to him that she could feel the heat radiating from his body.

“Mario,” she whispered, and realized how small her voice was. “Are you okay?”

She tried to search his face. She could see the shift back to reality in his dazed eyes, out of whatever horrible nightmare he had. But he broke eye contact. He lowered his head and swallowed hard. “I’m sorry,” he said, and his voice was hoarse. He started to shift, to drag himself away from her. “I’m sorry, I…”

Of course he wasn’t okay. And of course he wouldn’t tell her that. She knew what she had to do.

Peach leaned over him again and touched his shoulder before he could move. “Shh, it’s alright. Come here,” she guided his arms and slowly helped him lean back until he was lying down on the grass again. He looked up at her with wide eyes.

“Princess—?” he started to ask, but she hushed him again.

“Shh, shh,” she pressed a finger to her lips with a sad smile. Her magic was already taking effect. His eyes became half lidded, and she could feel the tension leaving his muscles again. She rested a hand on his chest. She was aware of the flush of color in his cheeks. “Do you trust me?”

He blinked slowly, sleepily. She could put him to sleep and he knew it. But she wouldn’t do it unless he wanted her to.

Mario shifted, and squinted up at the sky before looking back to her. He nodded. “Yes. But…” he lost his focus for a moment, and Peach waited patiently. “The—the dream. It happens. A lot.” he finally got out, and looked up at her. She knew his expression. He was gauging her reaction, checking to see if she understood what he meant.

“The nightmare,” she said, and he nodded again.

Before she even dared to ask, Mario took in a deep breath. “Sometimes I fall. Sometimes there is— there is a monster. Sometimes I can’t breathe.” he had a faraway look in his eyes, like he was remembering. His eyebrows creased with definite fear, and he looked right at her again. “I don’t— I don’t want to dream those things.”

Peach blinked. Mario was allowing himself to be blatantly vulnerable in front of her. No one was around, and the evening was pleasant. Nothing like whatever he was dreaming. He was afraid to go to sleep again. They were alone and he wanted her help.

She wanted to gather him up in her arms and hold him, just because of how simultaneously sad and happy he made her at the same time. She was so happy that he trusted her, but she was so sad that he was having such awful nightmares all on his own. She settled for finding one of his hands and giving it a small squeeze. “Okay.” she smiled for him and shifted up. “I can help you. I can give you good dreams.”

The relief in his face was clear. “Thank you,” he told her, with the most genuine smile she’d seen from him in a while.

She merely brushed her fingers through his hair and leaned down. “Here,” she pressed a kiss to his forehead.

His cheeks were rosy when she leaned away again. His eyes slid closed almost immediately, and then he was asleep. Her magic would let him sleep without nightmares. “You can always come to me, Mario.” she whispered to him, though she knew he couldn’t hear her.

But perhaps he understood it anyway. In little ways, he began to show her that he trusted her.

“Hey, look, I think he wants us to come.” Samus startled Peach out of her thoughts, and she looked up to see that Mario was waving for them. He knew how to convince anyone to play with him. Who were they to refuse? Laughing, Peach, Zelda, and Samus all stood and started toward the group to see whatever wild game Mario had come up with.

Little ways. Little gestures. He came to her when he just wanted some company. He could have any company he wanted, with all their friends across the worlds. But he chose to come to her. When she asked why, he always told her that he was just feeling a little lonely. At first, she wondered why he might feel lonely at all. Then, she came to think maybe there were different kinds of lonely. 

More and more frequently, he started to come to her at night. He would show up on her balcony and sit with her for a while. Just talking. They talked about everything; he knew how to make her laugh, and he was a good storyteller once he stopped being so worried about his English. She knew him well enough to get his point without flawless grammar. And in any case, she found his mistakes to be hopelessly endearing. 

She came to look forward to the late evenings. Patiently, and sometimes not very patiently, she watched the darkening horizons, hoping she could spot him coming. By the time his visits were routine, she started having an open seat and hot tea waiting for him. 

More than once, he had come to her because of his nightmares. Not often. But sometimes, he would come, and she would recognize the shaken look on his face. She never asked many questions. If he wanted her to know, he would tell her. She knew there wouldn’t be much conversation from him on those days, so she never made him stay long. And she would always make sure to send him off again with a magic kiss.

She often worried about him being able to make it home with the sleepy spell of her kiss. But as his form vanished in the dark, she knew she couldn’t doubt him.

As they came closer to the hill where Mario and the children played, she remembered the wistful way she stared after him once he left to go home, long after she couldn’t see him anymore.

O~o~O

There was a soft knock.

Peach looked up from her book and rubbed her eyes, confused by the sound. She was sure that she heard a knock, a purposeful succession of three taps, but not against her door. She glanced to her left. 

The moon illuminated her room through the window with pale light. There was a silhouette hanging upside down and waving at her from outside.

She had never rushed to her window so fast.

“Mario,” she gasped, as soon as she had raised the window. The cold air immediately rushed in, and she pulled her robe tighter around her. “What are you doing? Here, come in, please.” She stood aside while Mario climbed through. He had a sheepish smile, but a tired look in his eyes that she recognized in an instant. He winced, trying to maneuver himself right side up again, but toppled to the floor when he missed a handhold. Peach flinched.

Before she could react, he looked up at her, rubbing his head. “Sorry to drop in on you,” he joked with a weary grin. Peach shook her head and dropped to her knees beside him. 

She took off his hat and checked his head for bumps. Relieved when she couldn’t find any, she put a hand to his forehead. He watched her the whole time with a steady, distant look. “Are you feeling alright?” she asked him. The last time she had seen him take such a clumsy tumble was when he was running a fever. Even then, he had managed to stay on his feet and move with comparable grace until he was completely spent. She watched for his answer with wide eyes.

Mario didn’t say anything at first. She shivered as the breeze picked up outside and came in through the open window. He looked away from her to the floor, thinking through his answer. Finally, he glanced back up at her again with a guilty look. “I’m fine,” he promised her first, and she knew he meant he wasn’t feeling ill. “I just have trouble sleeping recently.”

Letting out a small, relieved breath, Peach nodded. He came to her for help again. She touched his hand briefly before she stood up. “Goodness, it’s freezing outside,” she said, reaching up to close the window. She struggled to pull the glass pane back down. “I do have a door, you know. Most people use that to come into my room.” she teased him.

She heard him chuckle. He got to his feet beside her, and helped her pull the window shut. “I know,” he replied, and she saw his expression was more relaxed. He opened his mouth to say something else, when they both heard a knock on her door. They turned slowly.

“Mamma mia, already?” he sighed, his voice lower than before. Peach blinked, and barely turned to face him when he started opening the window again. “I’m sorry. I have to go.”

She frowned. “Wait,” she touched his shoulder just before he could lift the window pane. He stopped and looked up at her. “What’s going on? Who is that?”

Before he could answer her, the knocks came again. “Princess Peach? Are you in there?” she recognized Fox’s voice, and she could tell by the movement outside that there were others. Why would they need her? She looked between the door and Mario.

She had an idea. “You stay here,” she led Mario away from the window over by her bed, where she directed him to stay low, out of view. He looked up at her with wide eyes. Then, she hurried to the door. “Coming!” 

Opening the door, she blinked several times at the crowd standing in the hall. There were mostly senior Smashers, and before her was Fox, holding a clipboard. “Er, yes?” she asked, holding her robe further around her.

“Good evening, Your Highness. Sorry to wake you.” Fox coughed into his fist and tapped his pen against the clipboard. “We’re looking for Mario. He’s supposed to be planning the banquet with us, but he left a while ago and now we can’t find him. Has he come by here at all?”

Ah. Mario’s sudden appearance through her window made a lot more sense. Peach shook her head. “I’m afraid I haven’t seen him.” she told them.

Fox nodded slowly. Behind him, Marth narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you sure?” he asked. “We checked his room, Luigi’s room, anywhere else he could be. This is our only other option.”

Peach crossed her arms and tilted her head. “Oh, my. Well, I’m sure he’s not here. I’ve hardly seen him at all since he’s been planning the banquet. If you do find him, would you mind having him come by? I’m really quite worried about him.” she layered on the effect with a distant, forlorn glance to the floor. 

“Of course, Your Highness.” Fox nodded knowingly. The others began to shift and made general noises of agreement. Peach noticed Luigi watching her. Did he know? She tried to give him a sign with a discreet smile to him.

Feeling like she’d convinced everyone well enough, Peach started to shut the door. “Well, I’m sorry I couldn’t help, good luck with—”

“Wait. This is Mario we’re talking about. He’s practically a master of hide and seek.” Samus stopped her by slamming a hand into the door. “Sorry, Princess, but we can’t let any leads go. He might have snuck in here without you knowing.”

The Smashers began to parade into her room. “But—! Wait—!” Peach was helpless to stop them, and she cast one hopeless glance to the hidden space beside her bed.

She couldn’t watch. Fox marched directly toward her bed. Peach closed her eyes and held her breath for the inevitable storm.

“...Hmm.” she heard Fox hum with interest, and she peeked over at the group searching her room. 

Mario wasn’t behind the bed. Her heart jumped in her chest.

So where did he go? She hadn’t heard the window open, but maybe he could have just been careful not to make a sound while he escaped. Trying not to visibly panic, Peach covered her mouth and pretended to help them look for Mario. She hovered close to the door, not wanting to accidentally reveal him if she did happen to find where he had gone.

“The man can fit in small spaces, people!” Samus reminded them all, turning up cushions. The room was alive with people searching every nook and cranny.

Luigi was standing in the doorway, rubbing his arm. “Mario wouldn’t sneak in here,” he was trying to tell everyone, but they were all too distracted. Poor Luigi and his manners. He was probably standing there because he felt rude for barging in. Peach glanced at him, and hoped he knew she was grateful that he tried. 

Marth, however, did hear Luigi. He sighed and closed the closet. “You’re right. Mario’s not like that.” he admitted.

Peach heard the toilet flush, and turned to look just as Yoshi left her bathroom. “Not in here,” he said. She tilted her head.

Getting up off the floor after looking under her bed, Captain Falcon stroked his chin. “Yeah. Mario’s too much of a gentleman.” he said. “Besides, there’s not too many places he could hide in here. It’s impossible for us to miss him. So he’s not here.”

Fox came out from looking between the shelves on the back wall. “Yeah. I don’t know what we were thinking. Dragging the Princess into this.” he came toward Peach, and lowered his head. “We’re sorry, your Highness. It was rude of us to come in like this.”

“Yes. We’re sorry, Princess.” Samus came to her left. Peach got the strangest sense from her tone that Samus had intended all of this. She narrowed her eyes.

As the rest of the Smashers filed out of her room, Fox made sure to be the last to leave. “This won’t happen again. But if you do happen to find Mario, could you let us know? No one throws a party like he can. The banquet won’t be anything special without his input.”

Following them to the door, Peach smiled. “Oh, I know. Don’t worry, it’s quite alright. I’ll be sure to let you know should I hear from Mario. Goodnight, now!”

“Goodnight, Princess!” the chorus from outside answered her, and Peach moved to shut the door.

The door shut without her even touching it. “Oh!” she let out, startled, and whipped her head to see Mario backed up against the wall. He must have hidden behind the door the whole time. “Oh, goodness, Ma—” she fell quiet when she realized the Smashers were still able to hear her through the wall. She held still.

They both waited until the voices faded down the hall. Peach let out a sigh. “You scared me,” she admitted with a nervous smile. She wondered how he managed to move from the bed to the door without her noticing. His presence was hard for her to miss, as she was always so hyper-aware of him. But Samus was right; Mario was truly a master of hide-and-seek. He knew what to watch for, he could sneak by anyone, and his size allowed him to hide in unconventional places.

Even if it was sometimes the obvious place to look, like right behind the door. “Sorry,” Mario answered her with a guilty look, and rested his hands on his knees. He leaned heavily against the wall. With the moonlight from the window, Peach could see his tired eyes. “And thank you.”

With a small frown, Peach reached out with both her hands to help him stand up. He hesitated. “It was nothing. Here,” she encouraged him to take her hands. “Let’s help you lie—”

As soon as he stood, he wavered and stumbled forward, right into her. “Oof!” he let out, muffled against her chest. Peach stood her ground and went to steady him by his shoulders until he could stand by himself. He scrambled for balance. “Ahi! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean—” he tried to say, but Peach just smiled and pressed a finger to his lips. He froze and blinked at her.

“It’s okay! It’s okay, just relax.” she smiled. “My goodness, you must be exhausted. You poor thing.”

He let out a sigh, and looked at her with a small, guilty smile. “I feel very tired.” he admitted, laughing nervously. Standing there, with the only light in her room coming from the moonlight through the window, his balance wavered and his eyes had a hard time focusing on her.

Peach just smiled and shook her head. “I know, it’s okay.” she took off his hat and carded her fingers through his hair. As she did, she noticed his eyes squint at the contact, like he was spacing out. She wondered how long he had been awake for. “Why don’t you take your shoes off and lie down? You can sleep here for tonight.” she eased him away from the wall, and carefully led him to her bed.

Startled, Mario jolted, but the movement was clumsy. “What? No, I can’t do that,” he started to insist, but Peach leaned down and kissed his cheek. The kiss immediately had the intended effect; Mario flushed a bright red and couldn’t protest beyond mumbling. “I don’t— I don’t want to intrude…”

He did finally kick off his shoes, and the spell of the kiss made his eyes go half-lidded. Peach helped him up on the bed, and eased him back until his head rested against a pillow. “I can sleep on the floor…” he tried to tell her, but Peach hushed him with a second kiss on his forehead. She lingered there, for longer than she should have, taking him in. His scent, the warmth of his skin against her lips. There was no magic for that kiss.

“Nonsense, you’re not intruding. You can sleep for as long as you want to here.” she smiled down to him, while he searched her face. He was moments away from falling asleep. Pleased, Peach started to pull away. “You won’t have any nightmares here.” she added, quietly.

Mario shifted. “Wait,” he said, and Peach stopped. His voice had gone low and drowsy. Reaching up, his hand wavered before he touched her face. Resting against her cheek. The startling intimacy of the gesture came to her in a sudden rush. She blinked. His gloved thumb gingerly swiped under her eye. Peach’s heart picked up until she was sure he could hear it beating. Once he pulled his hand away, she recognized his playful grin. “A eyelash.” he showed her.

“Oh. Yes,” Peach agreed, wondering why she was suddenly so breathless.

Moving up on an elbow, Mario continued to hold his hand up, and Peach realized he was offering it to her with an expectant look. “Make a wish,” he said with a sleepy smile.

She had never heard of this one. But she wouldn’t dare to refuse him. Closing her eyes, Peach smiled and thought hard. She wanted many things. But she couldn’t be so direct, and she couldn’t wish for too much. The magic in making such a wish was the hope in wishing for something small, something that could maybe be plausible. Something that could actually come true.

_I wish for Mario to ask me to the banquet._

Perhaps she was dreaming a little too big. But she couldn’t change it once she thought of her wish. She opened her eyes, feeling mild regret.

Mario nodded. “Now blow.” he told her.

She obliged. She blew gently, and watched the eyelash fly off into the darkness of her room. The silly superstition was pleasing for both of them. Mario relaxed back into the bed, and pulled in a deep breath. “What did you wish for?” he asked, though she could tell by looking at him that he was fading out for good this time.

Peach shook her head and tapped his nose with a teasing smile. “If I tell you, then it won’t come true,” she said, lowering her voice. “Now go to sleep, my sweet hero.”

He nodded vaguely. “Okay,” he agreed in a murmur, and his eyes finally slid closed. His breathing gradually elongated. She wanted his chest rise and fall, rise, and then fall, until she could tell he had fallen into a deep sleep.

She stood up carefully, not wanting to wake him again, and came around to the other side of the bed. He wouldn’t need any blankets like she did. Just sitting beside him, she could feel the heat radiating from his body. She carefully slid beneath her sheets, and sat against the head of the bed. 

Perhaps it should have been more awkward for him to be in her bed. However, while she listened to him breathe, she didn’t feel anything but fondness and satisfaction, knowing he was safe beside her. It wasn’t the first time they had slept next to one another. There were a couple of occasions. The one she remembered most vividly was the first, on their way back from one of many trips to Bowser’s castle. 

The night was dark and chilly, though not a problem for Mario with his Firebrand, which could light the way and keep his body warm. Mario could normally get them back to the Mushroom Kingdom before sunset, though Bowser’s plans turned out to be a little more complex than usual that time. So, they had to navigate the way back home in the dark. He had to be tired, though he wouldn’t admit it; the only indication was his slight panting. Despite his weariness or his wounds, he pushed on, and led her through the lands. She did her best to keep up with him, hauling her dress along and stepping carefully with her heels

Peach remembered how she hugged herself through the night chill. It wasn’t freezing. But compared to the heated pressure within Bowser’s castle, surrounded by lava moats, it did feel much colder.

They paused, briefly, at a cliffside overlooking a vast sea. Mario had stopped in front of her. Peach followed his gaze upward, to a fantastic view of the stars and galaxies above them. She let out a soft croon of amazement.

When she looked back down to Mario, he just had a tired smile. “Sorry. We can keep going now.” he started to march on again, as if he were worried that she was in a hurry. Only, he stopped when he noticed she was hugging herself. “You are cold?”

Shuddering, she shook her head through a strained smile. “No, I’m fine.” she tried to assure him. He already had a rough day as it was, and she didn’t want to give him anything more to worry about. Besides, if he could handle running across the entire Kingdom, fighting Bowser, and heading back, then she could handle a little night breeze.

But they were both so tired. He had come so far and fought so hard for her, and she had been stuffed in a cage all day. Neither of them were in any shape to traverse the Kingdom in the dead of night. As nice as it was to be able to stretch her legs, Peach didn’t think she could handle much longer of a journey. “How far are we?” she hesitated to ask him. If it were daylight, she would have known, having made the trip so often. But the darkness had a way of construing her sense of time and distance.

Mario let out a deep breath and rubbed the back of his head. “We are a little over halfway. Still some hours.” he told her, looking out across the horizon. Peach frowned; his eyes were half lidded, and his posture was not as firm as usual. He really was more tired than he was letting on. It wasn’t like she was much better.

She reached out to touch his shoulder. “Maybe we should rest,” she suggested, gently. “There is nothing very dangerous in this forest. Perhaps after we sleep, and after the sun rises, we will be able to return home much quicker.”

At first, Mario didn’t answer. He pursed his lips, and frowned. Of course, he wanted to get her home. She knew, with her heart surging with warmth, that his first priority was her safety. But she also had a point. He finally conceded with a nod.

He sorted out a place for them to sleep; a clearing with a startling view of the stars above them. After gathering leaves and moss, and setting out his yellow cape for her to lay on, Mario offered her his makeshift bed, close to the fire he had built. He truly had an impressive capacity to survive in the wilderness, though Peach couldn’t help but wonder if his skills were only due to the trouble she caused him by being kidnapped all the time.

She thanked him, and went to lay back. Mario, obviously, didn’t need a bed to sleep. He opted to lay down on the grass directly across from her, resting the back of his head in his hands and crossing his ankles. Peach admired his ability to sleep anytime, anywhere, as she was sure it was useful for time like these. Hopefully he had good dreams. She tilted her head back to look at the stars, sure she was about to sleep, and shivered despite her proximity to the fire.

After a few minutes, Peach found that she was too cold to fall asleep. Her entire body was exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to rest, and felt frustrated that she couldn’t. She shivered so hard that the back of her neck began to hurt.

“Princess?” Mario called for her in his soft voice, and Peach opened her eyes to see that he had sat up and was looking at her. He didn’t have to ask for her to see the question in his face. 

She tried to smile. “Oh, I’m fine. Really,” she said, though her voice trembled as well.

He frowned, his eyebrows lowering with concern. His bright eyes reflected the flames before him. Then, with a wince, he shifted and got to his feet again. He started around the fire toward her, his stride stiff, before she could protest.  
  


“Can I?” he asked, indicating the space beside her.

She didn’t know how to react except to nod. When she did, Mario eased himself to one knee and, with what looked like a great deal of effort, moved to lay back next to her. He let out a deep sigh. Their shoulders barely brushed against each other. But, his body heat practically radiated from him, and Peach instantly felt warmer. She told herself it was purely him and not a rush of heat within her from knowing he was so close. “Thank you.” she told him, hoping he couldn’t see her blush.

He gave a small smile. “It is nothing. Goodnight, Princess.” he mumbled, and took in a long, relaxed breath.

Peach found herself sighing as well, and glanced at him before looking back up to the stars. “Goodnight, Mario.” she whispered. She didn’t shiver anymore. She began to nod off easily, with him beside her.

Neither of them had ever spoken of the morning after, when they had each woken up to find their sides pressed together much closer than before. Peach assumed it was only natural for that to happen; perhaps their bodies naturally sought warmth in the night. Though, she got the sense that Mario was much more embarrassed than she was; she decided not to say anything once she noticed the color in his cheeks and how he had a much harder time looking her in the eye.

Yes, she had nice memories of sleeping beside Mario. After that, he was finally, more or less, completely comfortable to nap in her presence. Perhaps that was why he didn’t totally resist the prospect of sleeping in her bed, of all things.

The sweet man. She gazed down at his sleeping face for a long time with a small smile. Then, she reached for her book on the nightstand and opened it to read.

O~o~O

The next morning, Peach awoke to movement beside her.

Soft, early morning light came through her window. She was curled up and comfortable beneath her sheets, and she had slept wonderfully. She didn’t recall the last time she had slept so well. The fading vestiges of a lovely dream grazed her memory. A weight lifted from the bed beside her, and she blinked.

Quiet, soft footsteps. Retying the laces of shoes. A stifled yawn. He moved to her left, toward the window, as softly as he could. 

Peach rubbed her eyes and sat up to stretch. There was a silhouette that moved before she opened her eyes. 

“Oh. Good morning, Princess. I’m sorry. I did not mean to wake you.” Mario spoke in a hushed tone. He must have looked back to her before he made his escape. The thought made her blush.

“Mm.” she shook her head, and gave him a sleepy smile. “That’s quite alright.”

She couldn’t see him very well, but she thought he looked back at her with a fond look in those bright eyes of his. “I should go. Before everyone wakes up.” he explained, and she nodded to tell him that she understood. Of course, she remembered the group searching for him last night. He should get to his own room, or at least somewhere more plausible for him to have spent the night. Because the others, they wouldn’t quite understand. They couldn’t. Without the right context, it all appeared so very improper, and the context was too complex to just give out.

It was also just very personal. Their reasons for mutual trust, and the complex bond they shared belonged to them and was for them alone to know. They didn’t need nor want anyone else to understand why Mario came to her to escape pressure, or why she so willingly offered a safe space for him to rest.

Though, Mario didn’t need to know that Peach’s partiality was significantly influenced by her romantic feelings for him. She would have allowed him to sleep beside her even if she didn’t love him the way that she did, but perhaps as a second or third option. Because she did love him so much, she had been blinded to any other options. She didn’t see any choice but to have him sleep next to her. Subconsciously, she wanted him to know that she trusted him, and that he was safe with her. Her room, particularly her bed, a place of personal rest, was the perfect place to show him that.

Whether or not she was aware, she was always trying to convince him that he was safe with her. This became a little more clear to her, just as Mario raised the window and jumped through with a friendly wave goodbye, when she realized she did in fact have a pull out bed in the sofa across the room. She had completely forgotten about it in the moment. The floor, of course, was not suitable for the dedicated and loyal man who rescued her time and time again. He had slept on enough hard surfaces on his own. He deserved better.

He deserved a soft, luxurious bed, where he could relax as he pleased. He deserved countless pillows, endless sweet dreams, and someone there beside him to assure him he was safe. Someone to sing him to sleep, someone whose presence he trusted, someone who could soothe him after his arduous adventures. Someone to press a tender kiss to his temple or his cheek, his forehead or his nose, or perhaps even his lips.

Peach covered her face with her hands. Her cheeks felt hot. Mario had hardly left her room, and she was fantasizing about kissing him.

“Goodness,” she murmured to herself. She had to freshen up and get ready for the rest of the day. There wasn’t time to dwell on romantic daydreams.

Though, she thought as her hands brushed over her bedsheets, maybe there was a little time. There was a hint of him that lingered in her room, after all. She leaned down, pressing her face into the pillow he had slept on.

His scent, so familiar but never before so close, overwhelmed her senses. Peach shifted herself further into the bed and lay back down. She clung to the sheets and the pillows, surrounding herself with his scent, and closed her eyes. 

If she tried hard enough, she could pretend like he was holding her.

O~o~O

“For the walls, yes? In your opinion, the decorations should be white and pink?” Roy was asking, keeping pace with Peach even as she hurried down the hall. “Do you think accents of red would work as well? Hearts may be a nice touch, but I don’t have the eye for that sort of thing. But it is Valentine’s Day…”

Peach was not typically in charge of decorating, especially not in her own castle. She paid others to do that sort of aesthetic work for her. It wasn’t that she couldn’t. But her focus was typically more on logistics and politically significant things, like organizing events and determining who was invited and what her goals were when interacting with other representatives. The color themes and the type of food served just literally did not matter to her. She had employed various professionals for that sort of thing, and she trusted their judgement.

Her guess was that the party planning committee for the Smash banquet had assumed, by the way she dressed and carried herself, that she must have some experience or at least a desire to decorate things. Peach knew they must have only the best intentions, and she loved them, but asking her questions about decorations only served to make her feel like they only saw her as a silly little girl.

That was what she intended for rival kingdoms and those who may want to take advantage of her. She wanted to be initially dismissed and underestimated by threats to her Kingdom’s security. But not by friends with whom she had fought alongside for many years.

She took great care to keep her tone gentle and sweet. “Roy, I’m certain that whatever colors you select for the theme would be just lovely.” she didn’t break stride at all, even beginning to outpace Roy a little bit. 

Roy made a face like he was going to protest at first, before he sighed. “Yea, alright. I’ll figure it out. Thanks, Princess!” he peeled off to head back the way they came. 

Peach kept moving until she rounded a corner out of sight. Only then did she slow down. She composed herself quickly. Perhaps she should have suggested Roy track down Mario to ask for his input. She knew Mario was more of the type to enjoy that sort of thing. But, after last night, she was hesitant to send anyone his way; he apparently had something on his mind that was stressing him out, and party planning was only adding to that pressure. She hoped he had been able to evade questioning regarding his whereabouts.

It was already close to the evening. Peach realized that she hadn’t seen or heard from Mario at all since he’d left her room that morning. She shouldn’t be worrying about him so much; he could handle himself. He’d literally traveled to the center of the universe for her, twice, and come back mostly stable both times. A little bit too stable for all that he had apparently seen out there. At least in front of everyone else.

But she had known for a long time that he was one tough nut to crack. She would just have to be patient and keep working toward earning his trust. Picking at his shell. She fancied his soul to be quite like a geode; a hard, ordinary stone on the outside, with a glimmering and wondrous treasure hidden within if one was only willing to work at it. Though, he likely didn’t see himself as a treasure. But to her, his willingness to trust and be vulnerable was possibly the greatest reward she could ever earn, second only to his heart.

His heart. Peach stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to look back where she heard the voices of those in charge of putting the party together. Several of them passed her. Falco had an armful of Valentine’s themed banners, which Kirby gleefully chased after. They had even gotten Link to help; he was looking over some plans while Ness was jogging to keep up, explaining the information he’d been told by Fox or Marth earlier. She sighed.

Mario was likely going to be too busy to think about how he wanted to enjoy his own time at the banquet. He’d probably spend lots of time floating around and checking on everyone. A date was probably the last thing on his mind. And she might have been the last person he’d consider for a date. She didn’t know. He never talked about romance.

He probably didn’t even think of her very often in the first place. Not unless she was kidnapped and he had to go rescue her. Peach looked at the floor and continued walking, a lot slower than before. 

Maybe he thought she was so strange for trying so hard to prove she was trustworthy. Maybe he felt obligated to act friendly to her. Maybe he would prefer it if she left him alone to his own devices to handle his own problems. Maybe he would laugh if he ever got wind of the notion that she was deeply in love with him. She bit her lip. Maybe all of those signs that he trusted her more were all in her head.

“Hey, Peach! Think fast!”

An apple flew right at her face. By pure reflex alone, Peach managed to nab it out of the air and not show that she was startled. 

She heard familiar, boisterous laughter. “Nice catch!” she blinked, and Daisy came to clap her on her shoulder. She tried to smile. Though, the attempt felt unnatural. “Hey, so what’s with the sad look? Is everything okay?”

Peach nodded at first, to indicate that she was fine. But she stayed silent for a moment. Daisy gestured ahead and started to lead her forward, and the two princesses made their way down the long hallway. “I’m quite alright. I appreciate your concern.” Peach said, fussing with the apple.

Daisy nudged her with a wry look. “Oh, don’t be so formal with me. Come on, I know you. What’s wrong? Is it the stuffy prince you have to meet with back home?”

Twirling the stem of the apple between her fingers, Peach shook her head. Though, she had forgotten about that and wished Daisy hadn’t reminded her. There was so much to do back home. But first she had to get started packing all of her things. The day after the banquet would be the day everyone would part ways and head back to their own worlds.

And then it would be back to normal. Trying to conduct her Kingdom and avoiding getting kidnapped as best as she could. Peach gripped the apple a little harder. The distance between her and Mario would go back to normal, too.

“Is it Bowser? Has he been bugging you?” Daisy guessed again. “He usually behaves himself while we’re here. Oh, wait, is it Wario? The other night, he was driving his motorcycle down my hallway. Woke everyone up and didn’t apologize. That’s pretty normal, though.”

Peach shook her head. She and Bowser actually had a nice conversation about a week ago, though the memory of it was made a little sour knowing he would be back to his usual shenanigans once everyone went home. And she couldn’t actually remember the last time Wario had spoken to her; she tried to wave and greet everyone she saw, but he was always off doing something. In any case, he always seemed to be having a good time. She didn’t feel a need to check up on him.

They continued on down the hall, dresses swishing, until they could see the West exit toward the courtyard of the Smash Mansion. The apple stem twirled and twirled between Peach’s fingers. Daisy tapped her chin and scrutinized her. A careful evaluation. Finally, after several moments, she asked, “Is it Mario?”

The stem broke off of the apple. Peach blinked.

Daisy gasped and covered her mouth, trying to hide her wide grin. “You should see your face,” she snickered. Though, as soon as they heard others behind them, Daisy shifted closer and lowered her voice. “It’s him, isn’t it? You gotta tell me. Are you thinking of asking him to the banquet?”

Judging by Daisy’s expression, the heat that had flushed her cheeks had indeed manifested as a deep blush. Peach looked up and away. “He— he has been on my mind…” she admitted, glancing around and hoping no one else could hear.

There was a small commotion. No doubt, the party planning committee was mobilizing from all over the mansion. They must be meeting in the courtyard. Peach opted to steer Daisy away when they reached the tall doors, and instead turned the corner. The last thing she wanted was to get caught in another decorating inquiry, much less while she was right in the middle of one of Daisy’s interrogations.

“You have to give me more than that!” Daisy gestured for her to go on. “Did he say something? Did he do something? Do you think he’ll ask you to be his date?” Her questions piled up and up, and the weight of them seemed so sudden and so heavy. 

Peach looked at the apple in her hand. “No, no, it’s just that I’ve been thinking about him. More than I should.” she sighed, and shook her head. 

She had been thinking about him more than she should for a long time. Those big, earnest eyes. That round, soft face, his mellow voice. His strong hands. Everything about him was so modest, at least until his values were crossed. She had always admired his unassuming strength; he never tried to come off as particularly courageous or heroic. Those were labels others gave to him. He just portrayed himself as merely a man. That was part of what earned him the title of a genuine hero. 

And he was capable of carrying so much on his shoulders alone. Peach had the fervent, desperate wish that he may someday be able to share the weight he carried with her.

But what was she thinking? Getting so carried away with fantasies of an intimacy more profound than anything she had ever known? She was a Princess, and she had duties to attend to that did not involve getting swept away with dreams of romance. She couldn’t afford to be distracted by her personal, private desires.

But still. He made her happy in a way that Peach wasn’t sure she could go on living without, just by existing. Just having him in her life at all was such an immense privilege. He was a man dedicated solely to the security and happiness of the people around him. A man who asked nothing of others, yet gave everything he was capable of, and sometimes more. Especially for her. Her heart swelled. He was inspiring. He made her want to give everything and more.

They came upon a wide foyer that acted as an intersection between a few halls. “We’ve been over this,” Daisy told her with mock exasperation. “It’s okay to want things. Like love. You don’t have to try and control your own thoughts like you’re not a person with feelings. You shouldn’t do that.”

Peach bit her lip and clasped the apple with both hands. “I just wish I knew what he wanted.” she murmured.

Daisy just gave her a sideways glance.

O~o~O

“Ah, hello, Princess! I was wondering, have you seen Mario today?” 

Luigi greeted them out in the gardens. Daisy swept toward him to sneak in a kiss on his cheek, and, blushing, he rubbed the back of his head and waited for Peach’s answer.

Seeing the couple always made her smile. “Well, yes.” she admitted, thinking of the morning. Though, she would not dare to describe his presence in her room, even if she was sure Luigi knew. Even implying it felt like too much information. “But not for a while. Why, are you looking for him?” she asked.

A comfortable breeze blew. Peach fixed her hair and Luigi had to smack his head to keep his hat from flying off. “Sort of. I don’t know. He seemed a little bit off today, like he was just avoiding everyone he could. Normally, he’s happy to stop and chat with anyone. But Isabelle told me that the party planning committee just hasn’t been able to track him down long enough to get a word out of him.” he shrugged. “I was hoping you might know.”

She hadn’t expected that she would have been the last one to hear from Mario in the past few hours. “Oh,” she said, and looked out into the distance. “I did speak with him last night. He didn’t mention anything; you know how he is. Though, now that you mention it, he did seem...off.” she narrowed her eyes.

Over through the bushes further away, Sonic and Pikachu were chasing each other around. She could hear them laughing and see them ducking and weaving through the flowers. Some birds flew by overhead. It really was a lovely day outside.

She knew Mario was off. She liked to think she knew him better than anyone else, save for Luigi. She knew something was bothering him, distracting him, and she also knew that it would take much more than chasing him down to get him to open up about it. Luigi likely knew this, too. They might have better luck tracking down his stressor if they worked together. “Do you think—?” she started to ask.

At that moment, Luigi and Daisy both lit up, with wide eyes and big smiles. They were focused on her elbow. “Look!” Daisy said, to Luigi, and they both shared a gleeful look.

Peach blinked. They were both so focused on her arm. She frowned and tilted her head.

Seeing her confusion, Luigi gave a small smile. “Princess,” he approached her and gestured carefully to her elbow. “Look here, you see?”

Warily, Peach followed his gaze. Sure enough, crawling along her elbow, was a bright red bug. Tiny, and spotted, the little beetle meandered around her elbow before embarking along her gloved forearm. Peach watched the journey with a small, growing smile. “I’ve never seen one like this before.” she said, turning her hand in and out to keep the funny little insect in view.

“It’s called a ladybug,” Daisy supplied with a big grin.

Luigi had a sneaky little smile on his face. “Supposedly, if one lands on you, it’s good luck.” he raised his eyebrows. “It means you’ll find your true love.”

True love? Peach couldn’t ignore the way both Daisy and Luigi beamed, and she assumed her reaction was too obvious. Her cheeks seemed to burn. True love, there was such a whimsical and fairytale-like quality to the sentiment. The images that came to her head were of quiet, golden evenings, or soft, pink mornings. Flowers that perfumed a sweet breeze, and the residual smile left after a companion had said something kind. A compliment, or an admission of a very private and sensitive feeling. Her heart, thrumming all the way up in her throat out of a pure thrill, standing there with him, clutching hands in the safety of solitude. True love was the inability to stop smiling as she stood close to him. His presence beside her, certain in all the universe. They did not belong anywhere except together.

Daisy and Luigi, they must be smiling because she was suddenly breathless. “Oh,” Peach finally responded.

Why was she getting so carried away? Why was she letting silly superstitions overtake her in such a childish fashion? Peach looked down at the grass, and gripped her other hand out of view into a discreet fist. The ladybug crawled along her knuckles. Oblivious to her plight. 

She had let her hopes get up too high, she realized, swallowing hard. These meaningless games, flower petals and eyelashes and ladybugs. Superstitions and old wive’s tales had no real power over the universe. But somehow, she had come to let herself believe in the magic of myths. Peach knew what power a genuine wish possessed, she had used the power of the stars on multiple occasions. Calling upon the universe for help.

But these, these insignificant games served nothing but her own whimsy and entertainment. They could not give her what she wished for. And she could not use her genuine power to ask the universe to let everything fall into place in the ways she desired; that went against everything she had ever been taught. Her power belonged to the greater good. She could never manipulate their world to her own vision. It just wasn’t her place.

She gave a bitter smile. The princess with the power to wish for anything she wanted in all of space and time, anything at all, except for love.

Even if she could disregard her moral code, and ask the stars above to make Mario fall in love with her, she knew that she would never be happy that way. His love for her would be artificial. She would have conceived and created it all on her own, and the stars would impose her vision of love on him. That was the nature of her magic. The universe was kind enough to empower her to adjust the fabric of reality as she saw fit.

But that just wasn’t true love. True love, that giddy little concept that children look forward to someday in their distant future, that still piqued the hopes of those who desire romance. True love, as Peach saw it, required Mario to love her all on his own. No intervention. No outside forces pushing him toward her. He had to find those soft romantic feelings for her somewhere in his heart, along with all of those other vulnerable emotions he kept locked in there.

He did keep an awful lot sealed away.

It occurred to Peach then that even if Mario could have feelings for her, he may never tell her or be able to perceive them for himself.

And so this was what she had left. She held her hand up as the ladybug made a trip around her ring finger. There was nothing for her except little games to appeal to that sliver of hope in her heart that someday, Mario may find that his heart was as full as hers. A ladybug for their encounter. An eyelash for their bond. Flower petals, drifting in the wind, with a message for her to repeat again and again until it told her what she wanted to hear. She could cry out to a falling star with a desperate plea for an answer, but in the end it didn’t really mean anything.

None of it meant anything at all. Peach frowned.

“Hey, why don’t we all go look for Mario together?” Luigi’s voice startled her from her thoughts. She focused on him, his worried smile. He was trying to distract her. Was it all really so apparent on her face? “He has to be around here somewhere. We can track him down if we work together. What do you say?”

He waited for her answer, forcing a wide grin. Daisy came up to her and touched her arm as if to encourage her with a similar look.

She finally nodded. The ladybug reached the tip of her finger and flew off into the early afternoon. “Sure,” she said, and she hoped that they didn’t hear the slight catch in her voice.

A brisk walk over to Sonic and Pikachu allowed them to find out that Mario had been spotted across the Mansion grounds, around the fringes of Smashville. At least, in the last hour. Peach was discouraged, but Daisy was quick to claim that a start was all they needed, and so they went to march around the building. Sonic and Pikachu even tagged along for a little while.

In Smashville, they came upon the unusual but wholly welcome sight of Bowser in the middle of a picnic with Bowser Jr. Ignoring Bowser’s defensive statement about the beautiful weather outside and how Jr. was getting hungry, Daisy got straight to the point and asked him if he had seen Mario at all. He apparently hadn’t spotted “that little twerp,” anywhere, though Jr. piped up and claimed that Mario had played with him for a little while further in town.

So they continued on down the hill, waving at Bowser and Bowser Jr. as they went. The koopas waved at them until they were out of sight.

A couple of villagers spoke with them for a bit about how intense the Smash tournament had been and congratulated each of them for their performance. Then, the conversation shifted to Mario and they marveled about how smooth and controlled Mario’s fighting style was. Their comments on his acrobatic skills had Peach gazing out past them, daydreaming of the way he moved. He really was an unusually graceful sort. As it happened, the villagers had seen Mario headed inside to spar with someone who wanted to sharpen their skills.

Inside the mansion it was. Sonic peeled off to spend some more time outside, and Pikachu decided to head to his room. On their way to the stage where Smashers could practice with one another, they bumped into young Link. He had apparently been the one who asked for Mario’s help in the arena. It wasn’t unusual; Link had an incredible propensity for combat and was always searching for ways to improve himself. Even as a boy.

Luckily, Mario was always willing to lend a hand, and was known to drop anything to help any of the younger Smashers out. It was young Link that had started calling him Uncle Mario, after all. He described their session. Mario was apparently helping him with using his shield earlier. But, he mentioned how Mario seemed distracted. When Luigi asked if he knew where Mario had gone, Link mentioned that Mario said something about going up to the roof.

“To the roof!” Daisy pointed onwards, and Peach finally couldn’t help but break into a smile as they hurried towards the nearest flight of stairs. Young Link wished them luck and went on his way.

On the roof, bursting once again into the open air, they found Squirtle and Greninja. From what they gathered, Mario had initially been helping them train too, only they all realized what happened when the sunlight hit a big spray of water. Mario brought out F.L.U.D.D. and together the three of them sprayed water until they managed to create a rainbow visible for miles. Though, Mario didn’t hang around to play for long.

It sounded like Mario was having all sorts of fun. Peach thought all of this playing was more or less typical for him, though perhaps packed a little bit extra. He normally had actual responsibilities balanced in his days. She realized that all of the people he’d met with were not involved with the banquet planning. That was why it looked like he might have been avoiding everyone else.

Maybe he was running around trying to find others to have fun with as a distraction and an excuse to avoid the planners.

But that wasn’t quite like him. Mario loved the work they asked of him just as much as he loved playing with the kids. From what she saw, Mario never expected a leadership role, but he acted enthusiastically about it. Even at home. His appointment as a guardian to her Kingdom was not something he set out to be, but he took his job very seriously in any case. For him and his brother, they always sought to get the job done and made sure to do the job right. That was their priority. So for Mario to suddenly take a step back really was a little concerning.

Maybe she had been right when he had stumbled into her room in the night. Maybe he wasn’t feeling well. That was her only explanation for why he’d be so aloof.

Greninja indicated that Mario had set out back down to the second floor to meet with someone else. So, after thanking the two Pokemon, they set out once again inside the mansion.

By that point, they were all jogging. They had been all over the property. Surely they were getting close to catching up to him. Peach couldn’t explain their urgency in another way. Daisy and Luigi seemed to be growing excited as well; all of them were grinning and giggling as they ran along the halls.

Down around the stairs, they pushed on, hearing their footsteps thumping on the floor. They went, passing other Smashers who were curious enough to follow. A whole crowd of them determined to find Mario. The others likely thought they were just playing hide-and-seek. It wouldn’t be the first time Mario managed to get the entire roster searching for him for a game. For a moment, Peach could pretend they were playing, too.

They rounded a corner, and each of them skidded to a stop.

He was there. Everyone backed up around the corner again in a panicked scramble before he could notice. 

“Now, don’t argue with me. I know you better than you know yourself, even if you don’t want to admit it.” Doctor Mario was saying, to a disgruntled Mario who stood rubbing the back of his head. “Come along with me, then. I’ll get you checked out.” the Doctor turned and gestured for Mario to follow. 

From her spot peeking around the corner, Peach watched Mario look up at the ceiling and let out a heavy sigh, stalling, before he finally turned to go after the Doctor.

She tilted her head. 

It always had been a little odd to see what seemed to be a total duplicate of Mario. But Doctor Mario was his own person and he took his role as team physician very seriously, even if it meant wrangling the most stubborn fighters into his office. The most stubborn, Peach thought with a slight smile, likely being the very man that trailed after him.

Luigi nudged her elbow. “Hey, let’s go after them,” he suggested. “See what’s going on.”

Peach didn’t hesitate. “Okay,” she agreed, and picked up her skirts to run after them. 

Now that the game was over, the rest of the group peeled off. It was just Daisy, Luigi, and Peach once again, trying to give discreet chase after Mario without him noticing. Luckily, Dr. Mario’s office wasn’t very far. Mario did apparently make out the noise; he checked over his shoulder twice, frowning at the walls, only for the Doctor to call for him to hurry up. Daisy almost snickered out loud, but Luigi was quick to cover her mouth with his hand.

The infirmary was a bright room with a sharp antiseptic smell that Mario rarely visited. Peach recalled that Mario was not really fond of doctors at all, as, in his words, “something is always wrong.” He could never get away without some diagnosis or another, some doctor’s order to take it easy for once. That would explain the slight attitude he had toward the Doctor. The thought had a wry smile creep up on her. Mario was an extremely talented man, with a variety of skills spread out over several different disciplines. His skills did not include listening to the doctor.

But who better to convince Mario to relax than another version of himself?

“I know what you are going to say,” Mario crossed his arms as he rounded in through the doorway. “No more monkeys jumping on the bed.”

Peach, Luigi, and Daisy peered around the doorway. Mario’s back was to them, though the Doctor glanced briefly to them. He gave an amused smile. “Ah. Yes, I do remember that nursery rhyme. When we were young, we heard it all the time, no? Because we were reckless little boys.” he picked up a clipboard, and motioned for Mario with his pen. “Up you go. On the cot, please.” 

Mario shifted his weight from foot to foot, eyeing the ceiling, before he finally made a move up to the cot. He had to hop because the cot was above his waist. Peach had to cover her mouth to hide her smile at the sullen look on his face. He really didn’t like doctors. “You know what I meant. All you are going to tell me is to rest. But I can’t. And I don’t want to.” he grumbled.

All at once, Peach and Daisy had to duck away from the door to keep themselves from laughing. Luigi glanced back at them with a grin he was trying to hide, and motioned for them to keep quiet. But Peach could see his shoulders shaking, too. It was just so usual to hear Mario make a fuss.

Doctor Mario rolled his eyes with a smile. “Relax. I haven’t even begun. You must be tired if you’re already being difficult. How much sleep have you been getting?” he had started to arrange his stethoscope around his neck, only to slowly put it down again and opt for the clipboard. 

Thumping his heel against the leg of the table, Mario looked down at the floor. “I don’t know. Not a lot. Maybe a few hours every night.” his voice got quieter.

“Hmm.” the pen clicked and the Doctor began to scribble something down. “Have you been eating regularly? Hydrating well?”

Mario blinked, drumming his fingers on the frame. Thinking. He always had to be doing something with his hands. “Ehm. Yes? I think so.” He found the parchment paper draped over the cot and started to mess with it.

Nodding, the Doctor raised his eyebrows. “Okay. Can you tell me how you’ve been feeling lately? Over the past week or so. How have your days been going?” he asked.

“Oh.” Mario raised his head, and was silent for a little while. His posture gradually fell into something less certain. “I don’t know. I’m tired. I feel distracted a lot. They want me to plan the banquet but I can’t focus on it. I feel...like there is something missing.”

The Doctor stopped writing. “...Missing?” he asked, narrowing his eyes.

Mario swallowed, and started to gesture with his hands. “Yes. Missing, ehm, I don’t know how else to say. There is something that I want. But the more I think, the more I know that I can’t have it. I don’t even know what it is. But I think I know that it is something I can never and should never have. Does that make sense?” he tilted his head.

“Well, no.” the Doctor answered him with a slight smile, and looked down at his clipboard. “But I think I know what is ailing you. If all of these symptoms are correct, if you’re not sleeping right and you’re not feeling like yourself, and if you have this emptiness inside of you, then I know what it is. Especially with the reports I’ve gotten about you being very distant lately.”

Sitting up, Mario waited. When the Doctor didn’t speak, he blinked. “What is it?” he finally asked.

The Doctor circled something on his clipboard and looked up with a cheeky look. “I diagnose you with...the love bug.”

The way Mario’s expression dropped from a wary curiosity to irked bemusement in less than a moment almost would have had Peach ducking away again to laugh, but she was too confused and concerned.

“You are kidding.” Mario guessed, almost hopefully, only for the Doctor to shake his head. He was dead serious. Sighing, he asked “Is it chronic?”

The Doctor nodded gravely. “I’m afraid so.”

With a few frustrated gestures, Mario looked all around the room before focusing back on the Doctor. “What— What does that even mean? The love bug?” he shifted off the table to pace back and forth a few times.

“Look, think about it. You’re in love. You said you’re distracted, that’s because you’re thinking about it all the time. You’re losing sleep. You can’t focus. These things happen, and believe me, I know. I know _you_.” the Doctor stopped Mario by stepping forward and putting a hand on his shoulder. Then, he lowered his voice and continued to speak with Mario, glancing once again toward them. It was confidential now. Time to go.

Peach pulled back from the door into the hall, looking at nothing. Luigi and Daisy followed her with concerned frowns, as she blinked and shook her head. The air felt hot and cold all at once. “Mario’s in love with someone?” she asked, softly.

Luigi smacked his forehead. Peach didn’t understand why.

O~o~O

She accidentally spent an hour doing nothing.

Peach clutched her gown, realizing she had just been sitting and staring into space for far too long. In her chair angled away from the window. Now that she was alone in her room and all was quiet within the mansion, that was all she had any desire to do.

Her book lay unopened on her nightstand. Her sheets undisturbed from when she had made them in the morning. Her lights off. She felt quite like an object herself, sitting there to decorate her own room. A figure just to take up space. A knick knack with maybe a little sentimental value attached to it, but nothing that anyone couldn’t live without.

She breathed in and out. She felt the satin embroidery in the arm of the chair that her hand rested on. Her feet were cold.

Maybe she should just get ready for bed. That sounded like a good idea. Peach started to get up from her chair, but her body felt strange and unused to the movement. Like all of her muscles had rusted over.

Just as she managed to stand and start for her wardrobe to change into her nightgown, Peach thought she heard a knocking. “Just a moment,” she murmured, though she wasn’t sure that she had raised her voice loud enough for anyone to hear her through the door. The knocking came again just as she reached for the knob.

It was coming from behind her. Peach whirled around and spotted a familiar figure outside her window.

“Mario,” she grimaced as she managed to heave the window open, and she fixed her eyes on him. “Well, hello there.”

He was right side up this time, kneeling carefully on the shingled roof. His smile was guilty. “Hello, Princess. I am sorry to bother you again. It is late.” he glanced over his shoulder, to the waning moon and the dark sky.

She shook her head, trying to blink until she felt more awake. “Not at all. Please, come in.” she stood aside.

“Ah, actually, I, ehm. I wanted to ask if you would come with me.” Mario rubbed the back of his head, and gave an awkward little chuckle, as if just realizing what he was asking. But it was too late to back down. She could see him thinking about saying something else, but he held his tongue.

He didn’t have to know that she would agree to go anywhere with him. “Where do you want to go?” she asked, and tried to add some edge of hesitation so he didn’t think she was so eager.

“The roof,” he answered easily.

The roof. Why the roof? It didn’t really matter. He was coming to her again, just like he did at home. He wanted company, or something. Someone to exist with for a little while. “Sure.” she agreed.

If he thought anything about how quickly she agreed to go with him, he didn’t show it. He merely offered his hand to her and helped her maneuver through her window. She managed to clamber through. Her dress didn’t make it easy. Once she was able to kneel like him, they shared a small laugh. 

The open air was colder than Peach expected. She hugged her arms and looked up along the mansion to the roof. There were a couple of floors between her room and the very top of the building, and she just wasn’t sure if she was up for scaling it. Not like Mario, who could hop up and down it as easily as if it were a flight of stairs.

Mario helped her stand. “I can carry you,” he offered, and her nod was all he needed.

After all the times he’d had to rescue her, carrying her was sort of normal. Lately, she’d been holding her own, but the soft romantic in her never wanted to miss an opportunity to be swept away in his arms. He picked her up in a swift, easy movement. Routine. He’d done it several times before. And then he was off, leaping up toward the roof.

His every step was measured and controlled. He knew what he was doing. Peach hardly ever felt her stomach drop out anymore looking down, as long as he was the one carrying her. She clutched her arms around his neck and looked across the horizon. The breeze blew, but Mario was warm.

He found a spot and set her down. The moment was over a little too soon for her. But she swept up her skirt and sat down, and Mario went beside her. He was hardly an inch from her. For a moment, they both stared at the moon.

And all was still. This was it. Mario did not necessarily need conversation. He just wanted company. A part of her was unbearably thrilled that he wanted her of all people. But the other part just could not forget what she’d overheard before. Perhaps he thought very highly of her, as a dear friend. That was wonderful. She considered him her closest friend. But, Doctor Mario had said loud enough for her to hear that Mario was in love.

He was in love and she didn’t know who it was. That was the worst part. She was so deluded, so lost in her own feelings, that she couldn’t possibly figure out who it was that Mario’s heart belonged to. 

She’d been thinking about it for hours. Mario had been on so many adventures, and met so many incredible people that neither of them would ever be able to forget. There was no telling, as far as she was concerned, who it was that he loved. He had never mentioned anything to her about his love life. If he had ever loved anyone before, if he had any romantic desires like she did. The subject was not one he ever came near approaching on his own.

Glancing to him, she didn’t think she’d be able to ask. She swallowed something thick in her throat. The softness of his face, the celestial blue of his eyes. He looked at her when he noticed her watching him, and she looked away.

He tilted his head. “The banquet will be nice. I found the committee and went to help earlier.” he spoke up. His warm voice, his prominent accent. Her heart ached; she loved everything about him. “They were doing fine on their own. They worked hard and I think that we came up with something good.”

She nodded and tried to smile. “Oh, well, I’m glad.” she murmured. “They do have a lot of respect for you. I’m sure they meant well even if they were trying to hunt you down yesterday.” she clutched her hands together and looked down at the roof.

Mario gave an awkward chuckle. “I guess so.” he agreed.

The wind picked up. Peach shuddered and went to brush some of her hair out of her eyes. The night felt as if it were getting colder. She was aware that Mario was watching her, but she didn’t know what to say. She felt, sitting there on that roof, like a stranger to herself. The view was incredible. But the great wide world that they could perceive for miles and miles was suddenly unknown to her.

He finally took his eyes off of her and instead tilted his head up. “Ah, look,” he pointed, to the sky. “A shooting star.”

She followed his gaze. Just in time, to see the soft streak of light. She tried to swallow down the thick lump in her throat. Another streak followed soon after, and soon they watched a handful of falling stars streak down toward the horizon.

Mario watched, entranced, with his head angled up to watch. Never miss a moment. “What do you wish for?” he asked, leaning to nudge her with his shoulder.

The sky was alive above them. They’d been up there before, but it was no question that they were much happier with their feet on the ground. Peach watched the colors above bleed together. She couldn’t think of an adequate wish.

When she didn’t answer, Mario glanced at her again. His smile dropped. “Ahi, my Princess.” he gasped, and sat up to face her. His hands hovered around her. His voice was careful and soft. “What’s wrong?”

When the biting wind blew again, Peach sniffed and realized her cheeks were wet. “Oh,” she said, and her voice cracked. She drew up her palms to wipe at her eyes. Her hands shook. “I’m sorry, I...I don’t—”

She cut off when Mario got up on his knee and suddenly embraced her. Her breath hitched and caught in her throat. Her face was hot and wet. Why was she crying? Before she could stop it, a small sob escaped her. Her hands clutched the front of his shirt. The stars fell everywhere, all around them as far as she was concerned. Mario held her tighter.

Her breathing was too fast. Though, no matter how she tried to control it, her throat was too constricted. She pressed her face into his chest so that she didn’t have to hear herself. But she couldn’t drown it out completely. Mario started to rub her back, his arms so warm and secure around her. The sensation seemed to wrench another sob out of her. Her tears wouldn’t stop.

She wanted to tell him that she wasn’t upset. Everything was fine, she didn’t even know why she was reacting in such a way. But trying to say anything only made it harder to control. It was out of control anyway. She couldn’t even apologize.

So she sat in his arms on the roof of the Smash mansion the night before Valentine’s Day, everything spilling from her with no way to stop it. And Mario just held her.

He held her. She never believed she would be receiving his embrace like this. The shame burned in her face and she briefly wished he would never look at her again. This wasn’t supposed to happen.

“Ahi, Peach,” he murmured to himself. And the way he said her name was so caring, the thrill that pulsed through her was new because he’d never called her by her own name before. His tone filled with sheer tenderness. So worried and concerned, all for her. He pressed his face into her hair and held her tightly.

Even as the tears slowed down. He didn’t let go. Her breathing stopped trembling. She could actually fill her lungs with air. She couldn’t quite reach her voice, but she would otherwise be able to compose herself quickly. 

As the tears and the shaking stopped, she felt a strange calm overtake her. Her fingers pried themselves from his shirt and instead her hands started to reach around him. A weak embrace. He didn’t react except to shift closer. His breathing pattern was steady. She tried to follow it.

He couldn’t have been comfortable, resting on one knee. But he stayed still even as she shifted against him. “I’m sorry.” she finally managed to say. Her voice was raw and new.

Mario shook his head. “No. It’s okay.” he rested back on his heel, to look at her. She wanted to hide her face from him because she surely didn’t look very flattering. But she couldn’t look away from the deep concern in his expression. The way his eyebrows made worried creases in his forehead. He reached up and rested his hand on her cheek. His thumb swiped a stray tear away. Peach sniffed.

“Mario,” she started to say, just as she noticed his eyes were shining under the moonlight. He averted his gaze before she could say anything more.

She’d never seen him anywhere close to tears. He never let her before. “Sorry. I start to feel it too. When someone else cries.” he explained in a low voice, like he was ashamed. Peach’s heart surged with a renewed rush of warmth for him, seeing him blink and try to smile for her. His thumb stroked her cheek again. “Are you okay?”

Sniffing again, Peach nodded. “Yes. I’m fine.” she pulled her arms around him and turned her face to rest her head on his chest. “Thank you.”

He gave a small hum in response and held her again. His embrace, the way he surrounded her was so secure. Peach had to relish it while it lasted because she knew she would probably never have this again. But as long as she got to hold him like this and be held in return just once, she thought it would be okay. She sighed and tried to commit the feeling to her memory.

He wouldn’t ask her what she was upset about. No, he wouldn’t pester her about what was on her mind, he’d just sit and let her cry it out if she wanted, or let her sit in complete silence just to think. And he would stay. He would hold her through whatever she needed to do. She let out a long, shaky breath. He was too good to her. He was wonderful, he was everything. She loved him so much that it hurt.

She closed her eyes. She could be honest, but vague, and he wouldn’t ask for an answer. “I’m sorry, I just...I learned something today. It shouldn’t mean anything to me, but I was hoping for something else…” she murmured into his shirt. “Have you ever wanted something with your whole heart, only to find that it can never be yours?”

“Mm.” Mario agreed. His forlorn tone made Peach think that perhaps he knew what she was talking about all too well. She wondered if the one he loved was someone who didn’t love him back.

Alone, together. She heard a clock chime in a room below them. It must be midnight. Alone, together, on Valentine’s Day.

Mario must have heard it, too. He let out a slow breath, and his hand came up behind her head to keep her steady when he shifted. Getting off his knee, he sat back down beside her, and guided her head to rest on his shoulder. More comfortable. “Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked, with his arm snug around her when she shivered.

She gave a sad smile. Her body relaxed against him, weary now that she was aware of the late hour. “I don’t think so. I suppose it will be another lonely Valentine’s day.” She tried to sound sarcastic, but the sound of her voice was tart with genuine hurt.

He shifted to look at her, a curious frown on his face. “Are you going to the banquet with anyone?”

Pursing her lips, she shook her head. “No.” she smiled wryly. “No one has ever asked me to a banquet before. I’m usually the one hosting, you know. It gets too busy to have a date or dance.” he should know better than anyone. For her, banquets typically meant work.

Mario sat up, blinking at her. She was forced to pull up as well. “Never?” he asked, almost incredulously. The way he looked at her, with near alarm on his face, made her think that she had said something wrong. She didn’t have the chance to ask; he abruptly brought himself up on one knee again to face her, and offered his hand. He had a playful smile. “My Princess, would you please come to the banquet with me?”

Her heart leaped in her chest. Perhaps some wishes could come true. Even if they weren’t exactly what she expected. Charmed by his sudden gentleman-ly demeanor, she reached for his hand, only to hesitate. “But— but I thought that you wanted to go with someone else.” she looked into his eyes, feeling small.

He tilted his head. His brows creased and his smile fell. “What do you mean? No, I never ask anyone. There is, ehm, there is no one else I would rather go with.” he admitted, and she saw that his cheeks had gone a little pink. “I can show you what a date is supposed to be like. It’s fun, I promise. I can show you a good time. Okay?” Offer renewed, he held his hand out for her.

Peach saw the way the wind rose up around them, the way the moonlight reflected in his eyes. That silly grin that promised everything would be okay.

And she nodded. “Okay.” she agreed, and rested her hand in his.

As soon as she did, he grasped her and pulled her up into his arms. The movement surprised her and she cried out. Only, she fell into his embrace and realized he was spinning her around. Spinning her up on the roof like she had just given him the best news of his life. Her dress fluttered about in the breeze. Her yelp melted into laughter. She threw her arms around his neck and they laughed together, the quiet night overtaken with the sound of their joy.

“Ah, we should go to sleep. We have a big banquet to get ready for,” Mario teased, slowing down to look into her eyes. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought that he was genuinely excited for a date. “It will be perfect.”

The mention of sleep reminded her again how tired she was. She fixed his hat on his head where she had messed it up and nodded. “Okay. Yes, let’s get some rest.” she agreed, giggling.

He nodded and started on his way down the roof again. An easy jog, and careful leaps so as to not jostle her. Peach clung to him and only felt the antsy thrill bubbling up inside. She had a date! For the first time in her life, she was going out for fun with someone. And it was the one man she wished for, too. Even if Mario didn’t love her, she felt that with one date she could perhaps be content to live without his heart. 

After all, she had to be ready for that.

Mario finally dropped to her part of the roof, and eased her down in front of her window. “Thank you,” she said, her body still buzzing with happy energy. She would have leaned down to kiss him on the cheek, but for one, her hands were shaking, and for another, she didn’t want to make it weird for him after he just asked her to the banquet.

They were just going as friends. She had to remember that before she got too carried away. Mario knelt to help her through her window, and she slid with a graceful movement back into her room.

“I suppose you don’t need to hide here again,” she assumed, resting her hands on her windowpane as she saw that Mario wouldn’t follow her. “You know you are always welcome here when you need some space.”

Chuckling, Mario shook his head. “Not this time. But thank you.” he gave a grateful smile.

She reached out for him. She realized as she made the movement, that she wasn’t certain what she was reaching for. But she couldn’t back off. “Goodnight, Mario. Thank you. For everything.” her voice trailed off into mumble, but she didn’t look away from him.

Mario moved the rest of the way to her hand, and shifted closer. There was a strange look in his eyes that she didn’t recognize. Something more serious. Both his hands came up to her face. A delicate touch. “It’s nothing,” he said, and leaned his head toward her. Peach felt her heart jump up to her throat. He moved slowly, giving her every chance to back away. He couldn’t have known she was petrified.

He pressed a tiny kiss to her forehead. A gesture so soft that Peach could almost feel herself tearing up again.

She looked up at him with wide eyes once he backed off, his brows creased with resolve that she didn’t quite understand. He released her face. Her cheeks still burned from where his touch lingered. “I hate to see you cry.” he murmured. “I would do anything to see you smile. Sleep well, Princess.”

And then he was gone.

Peach stood blinking ahead of her for several moments at the space he had just left. He vanished into the night without a trace of him but the blazing mark on her forehead where he had kissed her. Her heart thudded away so fast that Peach felt as if it could flutter right out of her chest.

She focused on the night sky and spotted one last shooting star. One last wish.

_I wish that he would kiss me again._

O~o~O

Mario worked fast.

He had promised her the perfect date, the perfect banquet experience. And it seemed quite like he was going to hold to that promise. It seemed like everyone was in on it, too.

All day, various Smashers came around to visit her. Donkey Kong was the first to drop by on a surprise visit with a rose from “a special someone.” It wasn’t the first time she had ever received a flower as a gift, but knowing who it was from made her all the more giddy. She didn’t set down that rose all day. Daisy and Rosalina helped her pick a gown to wear. Something a little dressier than her usual formal attire. Megaman, Mr. Game and Watch, Duck Hunt, and Pacman came by all together for a brief conversation where each of them expressed a sincere appreciation for her.

She got to sit down with several of them for lunch, including Wii Fit Trainer, Palutena, and Corrin. Meta Knight and Pit passed her written notes, once again from a special someone, complimenting her and promising a wonderful night. All of the children Smashers came to her room with a hand-made Valentine’s wreath for her door.

Everyone made her feel so special. Peach found herself holding back tears several times. Daisy was quick to warn her not to mess up her makeup, which made her laugh. But she honestly had no idea that everyone would be so willing to make her day so bright.

Finally, it was time.

She stood just down the hall from the entrance to the ballroom, fussing with her satin gloves. After being closed up in her room to get ready for the banquet, she was given instructions to follow the path to the banquet hall. Confused, she opened her door only to find a trail of rose petals.

It was all so cheesy, but each little surprise was so genuine and sweet that it all touched her heart in a way she had never known before.

Her final instruction had been to wait at the end of the trail of petals. And so she stood, looking at the door to the ball, hearing music and voices from within. Her heart pounded. She’d been waiting by herself for only a couple of minutes, but it felt like an eternity. Her breathing was shallow and fast. 

“Princess,” a voice spoke up behind her, and she jumped.

She whirled around. “Mario,” she gasped, and her mouth dropped open. There he stood, in a dashing little suit with a small rose arrangement pinned to his lapel. In his gloved hand, he held a matching corsage for her. She could hardly find her voice. “Oh, stars. Mario, you look incredible.”

She’d never seen him dressed up before. His hair was all done, and his suit with the long coat tails made him look very sharp. He approached her, and she could smell an entrancing cologne. 

He blushed. “Thank you.” he said, and she could see his eyes flitting about her, taking her in. He pinned the corsage close to her left collar in a swift movement. “My Princess, you are...Beautiful.” the word left his lips carefully, and she knew by the awed light in his eyes that he meant it.

Before she could dwell on his compliment, he offered his arm to her. His dapper new style didn’t distract her from the shy look on his face. She accepted his lead, and they walked together in bashful silence toward the door. Peach wasn’t sure how her feet were moving. How could she have any balance at all? It must be Mario’s steady presence beside her. She looked down to him. He glanced up at her at the same time, and they shared a smile.

The door burst open just as they got close. In a flush of color and light, the banquet was revealed to her. White, pink, and with tasteful red heart decorations adorning the whole room. The string quartet came alive with renewed vigor. Everyone, dolled up and as sharp as they were, looked at her with knowing smiles, and Mario reached to rest his hand on top of hers. 

Dazzled, Peach looked to him again. He grinned. “Will you dance with me?” he asked.

Not trusting her voice, Peach just nodded, enthusiastically.

He promised her the perfect date. She hadn’t known what that meant, but as he grasped her hand and looped his arm around her waist, she knew that Mario meant something better than perfect. They moved together, dancing in time with a lovely waltz that the orchestra played just for them. Peach wasn’t sure if they were creating the tempo or not.

Because as she gazed into his eyes, the warmth of the room and the smiles and the music and colors seemed to melt away. It was just him. Them, together. The noise around them meant everything and nothing. The floor only existed where they stepped, and the ceiling went on forever as far as she could tell. 

The considerate way he held her, the way his smile lit up his face. The way he moved and the way she moved with him. She smiled so much that it hurt. Her heart didn’t miss one beat with this dance.

Perfect. It was perfect. They danced and twirled until she could forget about all the space around them and the time that passed them by. Everything was warm. The soft lights guided their way, reflected in his eyes. She didn’t want to look away, could never conceive a world where her gaze wasn’t locked with his, moving together in a dance with no beginning or end.

Their winding path eventually slowed. Mario held her close and they just rocked together, swaying back and forth, going nowhere. Just existing, together. 

In a way, the moment never ended. Even as the music changed and the noise around them grew. Even as other pairs and groups came to the floor to laugh and enjoy themselves. Even as they began to float around the party, trying to get to everyone to wish them a happy Valentine’s Day. The moment never ended, because it came to Peach in every quiet moment and in every instance where she wasn’t engaged in conversation with anyone. 

The moment never ended because Mario’s hand still sought her waist if they were standing close enough. Drawn to her like a magnet. It never ended because it lived on in every knowing smile their friends gave them.

But that moment was all she had.

It occurred to her, as Mario got dragged into some silly game with the kids, that their quiet little dance was it for her little fantasy. It just wouldn’t get any better than that. No amount of wishes on stars or eyelashes or ladybugs would change the state of affairs.

She stepped out onto the balcony for a breath of fresh air. Alone. She was still there, in her mind, rocking with Mario on the dance floor. She had to be, because once she left it would leave her forever. She wasn’t ready for it to be a memory. The curtains behind her contained the light and the music and the laughter of the party, leaving her stark in the cool night.

The rose. She held it up in her hand, observing the deep shade of red. The soft petals. A gift.

Blinking, to keep the tears at bay, she swallowed hard. And despite herself, she reached up and plucked a petal from the rose. “He loves me,” she said, her voice trembling. The petal flew off into the starlit darkness. Another petal. “He loves me not.”

The bloom dwindled in her hands. A rose had so many petals, she’d forgotten to count. The breeze took them each from her hand. Accepting, but providing no answer.

A hand touched her elbow before gingerly resting on her waist.

Peach jolted. Mario, he looked up at her with mute worry, because surely he could see the way her eyes shined. She blinked at him for a stupid moment. He must think she looked so silly, taking apart his rose for nothing but a game.

He kept close to her, even as her hand shook and released the petal she’d had in her hand. Mario watched it twirl off below. 

The night got colder. His internal fire should have warmed her, but she felt more alone in that moment than ever before. She shuddered. The breeze tugged at the remaining petals, as if urging for her to finish the job.

“He loves me.” His voice startled her. Mario reached up to pick a petal, and released it from between his fingers. “He loves me not.”

If she could, she would have worked with him, like they had before. But instead, she couldn’t speak and she could hardly keep her hands steady. So Mario picked each of the petals off until the rose was a bare stem. For every petal, he followed the game and spoke the conjecture. But for the last petal, the last “he loves me,” Mario didn’t say anything. Instead, he took the stem and set it down for her before pulling her into an embrace.

She managed to hold back her tears. But the thick lump in her throat stuck as Mario wrapped his arms around her. 

His voice was level and calm. “He doesn’t love you?” he guessed. 

Peach took in a deep breath. The words hurt as she spoke them. Her voice cracked, but some desperate urge pushed her to speak anyway. She had to know. “I don’t know. Does he? Does he love me?” she asked.

Mario blinked. His lips pressed into a thin line. “Princess, I don’t—” he started to say, and then shook his head. “I don’t know who…”

Trying to keep her voice under control, Peach gripped Mario’s shoulders. He looked up at her with wide eyes. “You’re the only one who can tell me.” she whispered, her eyes stinging. “Does he love me?”

His brows creased, as if he were hurt. He looked down at the floor and then back up at her again, trying to put together an answer for her. But he had none. He started to shake his head slowly. The flower, the wishes, it was all for naught. He didn’t know. It was better this way, for him and for her.

Then, it dawned on him. 

His eyes went wide with the revelation. He blinked at her. “He—” he started to say, and hesitated. The tiniest hint of a hopeful smile. “He loves— yes. Yes, Princess, he loves you.”

He went for her hands, gripped them tightly. She could hear him take a sharp breath in. A disbelieving light in his big blue eyes. The chill of the night went through her. But Peach wasn’t cold anymore. “Really?” she asked him, feeling her heart pound and hope rush through her.

A vigorous nod. “Yes! Yes, my Princess. I love you.” Mario reached up to touch her face, with the sweetest smile. A nervous laugh left him.

Peach put her hand over his and closed her eyes for a moment. Just feeling him there. She was breathless. “Mario, my stars. I love you too.” she opened her eyes and beamed. She could feel him, so close to her like before. He was all she could perceive. All she ever wanted to be a part of. His thumb stroked her cheek.

At the same moment that he inched up, she leaned down into him. He tilted his head. When her lips touched his, Peach swore she could feel the stars falling. She closed her eyes, and they kissed under the moonlight. 

The lights and the colors came back with more force. Peach vaguely realized that someone had opened the curtain and now they were in view of the banquet that Mario had put on. She vaguely heard happy voices, and more music, but she couldn’t be bothered to focus on it. All she could feel was Mario, her senses overwhelmed by the feeling of his smile against her and his gentle embrace.

Even when he pulled back just an inch, she followed him to steal another small kiss, just to see him blush. “Ahi, Peach.” his voice was hoarse, his eyes starstruck.

They laughed and embraced one another, and Peach looked up at the sky. She saw that there were indeed shooting stars falling above them. With a big smile, she held Mario tighter.

She supposed it didn’t hurt to wish after all.

O~o~O

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: I'd like to thank Captain Byte for the super wonderful cover that I commissioned from him. You can find him on Twitter and a few other places with his handle @CometMedal!
> 
> Happy Valentine's Day! This is so long and mushy but worth it I think, at least I got it done barely in time where I am in the world :') Mario x Peach is such a cute Valentine's couple! Ah, I hope y'all had a nice day whether you have a special someone or if you're celebrating the single life! It's snowing here actually, it's strange because it never snows. It's fun, I ran around for like an hour in it and had a good time, felt like a kid again. 
> 
> Kind of a side note, but I sort of wanted to dedicate this story to my younger self. I realized the other day, going back through my old atrocious fanfiction from way back in middle school, that I actually had a very similar story to this one! It was a silly romance featuring Mario and Peach and a Valentine's banquet at the Smash mansion. I like to think I've improved a lot as a writer since then. But realizing that I essentially rewrote a story from when I was 12 by accident is kind of incredible to me. So here's to myself at 12 years old. Keep writing, I know you've got a good story in you, and I hope that someday you'll be proud of who you grow up to be.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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